An assistant Texas high school football coach has been critically injured after striking his head when a play went out of bounds during a game.
Mark "Papa" Bachtel was airlifted to Baylor Medical Center in Dallas, according to a spokesman for the hospital. Bachtel, an assistant coach for Scurry-Rosser High School, was injured on the sidelines Friday night during a game versus Malakoff.
Hundreds from the Kaufman County community gathered Saturday at dusk to hold a vigil for Bachtel, who remained in critical condition.
Scurry-Rosser ISD board member Nancy Duggan says the play knocked Bachtel off his feet, and he struck his head on the ground, resulting in multiple skull fractures and severe head trauma, according to The Dallas Morning News, which quotes inForney.com.
The game was called in the fourth quarter after Bachtel's injury with Malkoff leading 73-27. Scurry-Rosser High School is about 30 miles south of Dallas.
NBC 5's Tim Ciesco contributed to this report.
